My Protector | A Harry Potter love story

chapter 4

"Intriguing, isn't it?" Professor Lupin inquires to us as we all stare at the dresser rumbling. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?" "That's a boggart, that is." Dean Thomas says. "Very good, Mr. Thomas. Now, can anybody tell me what a boggart looks like?"

"No one knows." I perk up scaring Harry and Ron next to me. "When'd they get here?!" Ron questions us. "Boggarts are shapeshifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears the most. That's what makes them so..." "So terrifying. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a boggart. Let's practice it now. Uh, without wands, please. After me: Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" We all say back to him. "Very good. A little louder and very clear. Riddikulus!" "Riddikulus!" We yell back at him. "This class is Riddikulus." I hear my brother sneer from behind us. I turn back to look at him and his cronies and flip him off. I hear Hermione gasp at me and tug my hand back down and turn my focus back to the professor. "Very good! Well, so much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a boggart is... laughter. You need to force is to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Let me explain. Uh, Neville. Will you join me, please?"

We all turn our heads to Neville who looks now paler in the face than usual. "Come on. Don't be shy. Come on." Lupin gently urges him. As Neville walks over to him I reach out and pat him on the shoulder. "Got this Neville." I whisper to him. He turns his head back to me and meekly smiles before approaching the professor. "Hello. Neville, what frightens you most of all?" Neville lowly stammers an answer back at him, but no one can hear him at all. Poor guy. "Sorry?" "Professor Snape." He answers loudly causing everyone in the class to laugh even the professor chuckles at the answer. "Professor Snape? Yes, Frightens all. And I believe you live with your grandmother."

"Y-Yes. But I don't want that boggart to turn into her either." "No. It won't. I want you to picture her clothes-- only her clothes-- very clearly, in your mind." "She carries a red handbag-" "We don't need to hear. As long as you see it, we'll see it. Now, when I open that wardrobe, here's what I want you to do." He goes over to Neville and whispers in his ear. "Can you do that? Yes. Wand at the ready. One... two...three." He flicks his wand at the wardrobe and the door opens itself. We see Professor Snape come out of the wardrobe and start walking to Neville. "Think, Neville. Think!"

"Riddikulus!" All of a sudden, boggart Snape is wearing Neville's grandmother's clothes. From the green pencil skirt to the fox scarf, the eagle hat and her red handbag, Snape has never looked better. The whole class starts to laugh at what Snape looks like and I know this is one of these moments I'll take with me for the rest of my life. "Wonderful, Neville! Wonderful! Incredible. Okay. To the back, Neville. Everyone, form a line!" We all make a messy line trying to be as close as possible to the front. Thankfully I'm pretty close with Parvati just in front of me and Harry behind me. All of a sudden i feel my body being pushed forward harshly into Ron and I feel Harry grip my waist. "Sorry. Malfoy- er, uh, Draco, he pushed the line." "Of course he did." Harry starts to take his hands off my waist, but I grab onto them. "I didn't say to stop that." I tease at him; I hear him chuckle from behind me and he puts his hands back on my waist. "Gross." I hear Ron murmur in front of me. I reach forward and flick him on the head as usual. "Damn it, Arabella!"

"Form a line! I want everyone to picture the thing they fear the very most," Lupin walks over to his vinyl player and starts playing music. "...and turn it into something... funny. Next! Ron!"

Swing music starts playing loudly and I look over ahead and see Ron slowly walk over to the boggart. "Concentrate. Face your fear. Be brave!" Boggart Snape transforms into a large spider. Ew. Harry told me all about what him and Ron had to do last year with the acromantula and I honestly am so glad I wasn't there for that. Ron whimpers at the spider, he takes out his wand from his robe but as the spider comes closer and closer to him, Ron freezes at the sight. "Come on, want at the ready, Ron! Wand at the ready." Lupin instructs him. "Riddikulus!" Ron flashes his wand at the spider, in a flash the spider has roller skates on all its legs and is struggling to stay up. We all laugh at the scene in front of us. "Yes! You, see? Very good! Very good! Marvelous! Absolutely, very, very, enjoyable. Parvati! Next." Ron goes to the back of the line and Harry and him high five each other. I lean back into Harry and can't stop laughing at the spider in front of me.